BANGKOK, Thailand – The Cabinet approved changes to Thailand’s visa-exemption and visa-entry measures on July 14, reducing the 60-day visa-free stay and introducing country-specific periods of 30 or 15 days. The revision aims to maintain travel convenience, address security gaps, prevent misuse of entry privileges, and eliminate overlapping entitlements through a one-country, one-entitlement approach.
Under the revised measures, nationals of 59 countries and territories will be eligible for visa-free entry for tourism for up to 30 days. India, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, and the Maldives are now included, ensuring all 27 European Union member states receive the same arrangement. Mauritius and Seychelles will be granted visa-free stays of up to 15 days, subject to future review. Visa on Arrival privileges will remain for Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia. India’s Visa on Arrival entitlement will be removed to avoid duplication with its new visa-exemption status.
The revised measures will cover 65 countries and territories. Five related Ministry of Interior notifications will take effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. Travelers admitted under the existing rules before the new measures take effect may remain for the rest of their previously authorized stay.
Security agencies will enhance the Thailand Digital Arrival Card system and connect interagency databases to improve risk assessment and ensure entry privileges are used as intended. The government emphasized that these changes are not meant to restrict tourism but to create a more transparent and verifiable immigration system, ensuring that visa measures effectively stimulate the economy without compromising national security. (NNT)
